Electric search-light for automobiles.



G. A. LEWIS.

ELECTRIC SEARCH LIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1910.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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CHARLES A. LEWIS, 0E DENVER, COLORADO.

ELECTRIC `SEARCH-LIGH'II? FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application led August 8, 1910. Serial N o. 576,039.

To all wiz-0m it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LEw1s,-acitizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and countyof Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful ElectricSearch-Light for Automobiles, of which the following is aspec-ification.

My invention relates to an improved electric arc head-light forautomobiles, and the objects of my invention are: First, to provide anautomatically operating electric arc headlight for automobiles. Second,to provide a simple, economical, easily applied electric arc head-lightfor4 automobiles. And third, to provide an electric arc head-lightapparatus particularly adapted for use in connection with automobiles,and which is unaffected by gravity, jolts or vibrations, and which isadapted to be supplied with current from a primary battery, a storagebattery, a dynamo, or any other source of electric energy, and which maybe used with or without a reflector and lens, or with either of them. Iattain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view of the improvedhead-light apparatus, a portion of the hood being shown in dotted lines.Fig. 2, is an end View of the same, the carbon and operating levertherefor on the said end being omitted. Fig. 3, is a plan view of thesupporting bracket for the solenoid. Fig. 4, is a vertical, longitudinalsectional view through the same. And Fig. 5, is a v.front view of thecarbon operating lever and the ring through which the carbon passes.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings; The numeral 1 designates asupport or bracket, comprising a central .hub 2, from opposite sides ofwhich project .horizontal arms 3, which terminate in vertical standards4 to which are secured the vertical portions of supports 5. Thesesupports are insulated from the standards 4 of the bracket 1, by fiberor other non-conducting strips or plates 6, and are secured to thestandards by screws 7, wliichpass through tiber sleeves 8, which passthrough holes in the supports 5, and contact with the strips 6, thesleeves 8 beingprovided with annular fianges, against which the heads ofthe screws bear.

The bracket 1l is designed to support a solenoid 9, and while thesolenoid may be secured thereto in any suitable manner, it is preferablysecured as follows: A semi-circular saddle 10 is formed on the bracket,midway between the vertical standards 4, which saddle is designed tosupport the solenoid in a position parallel with the horizontal arms 3of the bracket. The solenoid is held in the bracket by set screws 11,which pass through opposite sides of the saddle, and may contactdirectly with the periphery of the solenoid, though, as shown in thedrawings, these screws bear upon plates or blocks 12, which areremovably seated in recesses or grooves 13, in the opposite sides of thesaddle, and are clamped against the periphery of the solenoid by thesaid screws. The vertical members 14, of the supports 5, thenonconducting strips 6, and the standards 4, are provided withregistering holes 15, which are 1n line with the axial hole 16 of thesolenoid, and the upper ends of the members 14 terminate in horizontallydisposed sleeves 17.

From the arms 14 extend arms 18 comprising parallel spaced plates, whichterminate at their upper ends in sleeves 19, in axial line with thesleeves 17, a suitable space being left between the opposing ends of thesaid sleeves 17 and 19. The sleeves l19 are open or slotted along theirlower sides, so as to communicate with the space between the platesconstituting the arms 18, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 1and 2.

Extending loosely through the holes 15 in the supports 5,non-conduct-ing strips 6 and standards 4, and into the opposite ends of'the solenoids, are cores or plungers 21, to the outer ends of which arepivotally secured fiber links l22, t0 which are pivotally connected thelower ends of levers 23, which are moun-ted midway of their length,between the parallel members of the arms 18, upon pins 24, which extendthrough the said arms.

To the upper ends of the levers 23, are pivotally secured links 25, theopposite ends of which are pivotally secured to rings 26, which areadapted to encircle electrodes 27, which are supported in the sleeves 17and 19. These rings normally stand in substantially vertical positionsbetween the sleeves 17 and 19, and when the cores 21 are drawn towardeach other, by reason of the current passing through the solenoid, thelevers 23 are rocked and the rings 26 are thereby tilted at an angle tothc axes of the elecl trodes, and thus engage the electrodes fric- Itionally, and move them away from each other, as will be vmore fullyshown hereinafter. The electrodes 2T are normally pressed toward eachother, by springs 2S, the upper ends of which bear upon the outer endsof the electrodes, while their lower portions encircle pins 29, in theslotted ends of the arms 1S, their lower extremities being engaged bystop pins 30, by which the springs are held under tension.

The electrodes are steadied in their movements or prevented from beingtoo suddenly thrown, either by the solenoid or the springs 2S, by pins31, having pointed ends, which extend through holes 32, in the lowersides of the Vsleeves 17. These pins are provided with-shoulders 33,adjacent to their upper ends, and their lower ends pass loosely throughholes in arms 31, which extend frem the upright arms 14. Coil springs 35are interposed between the arms 34 and the shoulders 33, and thus holdthe pins in contact with the electrodes.

The winding at one end of the solenoid is connected with the adjacentsupport 5, by a binding screw 36, while from the opposite end ot' thesolenoid, the winding extends to a source of electrical power. Theopposite support 5 is provided with a binding screw 3T, which clamps oneend of a circuit wire 38, the opposite end of which is connected withthe said source of power. The current thus passes from the source ofpower through the solenoid to one of the supports and to the electrodesupported thereby; thence it passes to the other electrode, and throughthe adjacent support 5, and wire 3S, to the source of power, thuscompleting an electrical circuit.

The improved device herein shown and described, may be secured withinthe light hood 39 (shown in dotted lines) in any desired manner, butlwhen the same is connected to hoods, in present use, the hub 2 of thesolenoid supporting bracketr` i5 formed with a socket 40, by which it isadapted to tit upon the end of a supporting rod 41, which extends upinto the hood` and the hub is secured upon the said rod b y a set screw1Q. The mechanism is so positioned that the electrodes are on ahorizontal line which passes through the axial center of the hood.

In practice, an electrode 2T is slipped through the sleeves 17 and 19 ofeach support 5, and through the ring 26 on the upper end of the leverQ3, the ends of the electrodes meeting at a point midwaybetween theopposing ends of the sleeves 17. The springs 28 are then caused toengage the outer ends of the electrodes so as to exert a pressure uponthem which will tend to move them toward each other. lVhen the currentis turned on, the solenoid is energized and the cores 21 are drawntoward each other, whereby the levers 93 are rocked on their pivots, sothat their upper ends are moved outward. This movement of the leverstilts the rings 26 so that they hindl upon or grip the electrodes andmove them apart, whereby an arc is formed between their adjoining ends.The electrodes remain in these relative positions for a limited period,or until their ends are so consumed as to materially lengthen the arc,thereby increasing the resistance and diminishing the magnetic power ofthe solenoid, which thus permits the cores to move apart. The levers Q3are thereby rocked in the opposite direction, which causes the rings 26to assume substantially vertical positions, and thus release theirfric-.tional grip upon the electrodes, which are then moved toward mehother by the springs 28. Thus the arcforming movement of the electrodesis automatically maintained through the agencies of the solenoid, thecores, the levers, and the gripping rings, while the opposite or feedingmovement of the said electrodes is also automatically maintained by thesprings QS, the spring-operated pins 31 acting to steady the movement ofthe electrodes.

The operation of the mechanism constituting the improved electric arcsearchlight, is not in any way affected by gravity, by jolts, or byvibrations, and a light of uniform power is thereby maintained, andwhile the device is primarily intended for use in connection withautomobiles, it is obvious that the same may be employed in any otherconnection.

Having described my invention, `what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In an electric arc head-light, a bracket; supports secured to theopposite ends of said bracket and insulated therefrom; horizontallydisposed sleeves upon the upper ends of the supports; electrodesslidably mounted in said sleeves; a solenoid on the bracket in circuitwith the electrodes; slidable cores in the opposite ends of thesolenoid; levers pivotally mounted in the supports and connected attheir upper ends with the electrodes and at their lower ends with thecores, said levers being adapted to move the electrodes apart when thesolenoid 1s energized; and springs for exerting a counter pressure uponthe electrodes.

2. In an electric'arc head-light as specied, a support; electrodeshorizontally and slidably mounted in the support; rings loosely mountedon said electrodes; a solenoid in circuit with the electrodes, havingmovable cores extending into its opposite ends; levers pivotally mountedin the support and having a pivotal connection at their upper ends withsaid rings and at their lower ends with the outer ends of said cores,

whereby when the levers are rocked by the movementof the cores the saidrings are tilted and grip the. electrodes frictionally and move themapart; and springs for exerting a continuous counter pressure on theouter ends of the electrodes.

3. In an electric arc head-light as specified, a bracket; a. supportsecured to each end of the bracket and insulated therefrom; horizontallydisposed spaced sleeves atthe upper end of each support; electrodesslidably mounted in said sleeves; a ring loosely mounted .on eachelectrode between the spaced sleeves; a solenoid secured to the bracketin circuit with the electrodes; cores extending into the opposite endsof the electrodes having non-conducting links pivotally attached totheir outer ends; levers pivotally mounted in the supports and pivotallyconnected atv their upper ends to said rings and at their lower ends tothe nonconducting links; and springs for exerting an inward pressureupon the outer ends of the electrodes.

fl. In an electric arc head-light as specified, a bracket; metalsupports secured to the opposite ends of the bracket and insu latedtherefrom; alined sleeves at the upper end of each support separated bya space, said supports havingslots which open into the lower sides ofthe outer sleeves; a ring on each electrode in the space between thesleeves; levers pivotally mounted in the supports; links connecting theupper end of said levers and said rings; a solenoid removably secured tothe bracket, having slidable cores in its opposite ends and in circuitwith said electrodes; non-conducting links connecting the lower ends ofsaid levers with the said cores; and springs mounted in the slottedportions of the supports, the

upper ends of which extend up through the outer sleeves and bear uponthe outer ends of the electrodes.

5. In an electric head light as specified, the combination with a pairof uprights, having carbon supporting sleeves at their upper ends, ofspring operated pins carried by said uprights, which are adapted toenter apertures in said sleeves and to frictionally engage carbonsplaced in said sleeves.

6. In a device as specified, a support comprising a base whichterminates at each end in uprights, and a saddle midway between saiduprights, brackets secured to said uprights having divided tubularcarbon supports at their upper ends, said brackets and uprights beingprovided with alined aperF tures, a solenoid secured in the saddlehaving a core extending into each end projecting through the adjacentaperture in the uprightand bracket, a centrally pivoted lever carried byeach bracket and connected at its lower end to the projecting end of asolenoid 4core and insulated therefrom, a link'at the opposite end ofeach lever, and a friction ring pivotally secured to each link andlocated between the adjacent ends of each divided carbon holder, saidrings be; ing adapted to encircle carbons mounted in said holders, andtension springs carried by the brackets, the free ends of which areadapted to bear against the outer ends of the said carbons.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

` CHARLES A. Lnwis.

Witnesses:

G. SA-RGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. FOWLE.

